C
iJump Feature
harlie White is an imposing figure of a man, and one of
the most sincere people on our circuit. You can take his word “to the bank” as people used to say and he still does some business on a handshake. When Macella O’Neill and Charlie White
started their Diamond Mountain Stables training business in Calistoga, California, it was 1983 and up to Charlie to make sure the hay shed stayed full. Doing the hay purchas- ing for the farm, he decided he could add efficiency and professionalism to the hay market in general, and he became a broker. His goal was to help stables with their feed needs and pricing as well as trying to nor- malize expenses while assuring quality. Charlie’s first priority was to meet with
hay growers and discuss buying options. It was difficult to find large quantities of hay that had been grown right, harvested right, barn stored with prompt delivery promised.
ness has been important the last four years, more so than ever before. The effects of the economy push pricing through the roof has been stressful for sure, but as in anything, that kind of pressure is not always bad, it just makes us work harder. The real key is communication with the stable owners and their managers regarding good feed defini- tions so they can feed more efficiently. I am spending a large amount of time working with barns on understanding hay analysis and what ‘protein counts and levels’ actu- ally mean. Sometimes the most beautiful hay you see is not the most nutritious but in the show horse business, barns and owners can be fooled.” “Whatever hay broker you are working
with and buying from, get with them now and get ahead of any possible hay shortage. If you wait till April or May and buy on the ‘open market’, you are too late. It’s way better to be pro-active at the right time. The very last thing you ever want to hear is, ‘this
Charlie and Macella
“Whatever hay broker you are working with and buy-
ing from, get with them now and get ahead of any possible hay shortage. If you wait till April or May and buy on the ‘open market’, you are too late. It’s way better to be pro-active at the right time." - Charlie
His travels took him through California and into Nevada on the way to Oregon. After interviewing dozens of farmers, he selected a hand full of hay growers he still does busi- ness with 20-30 years later. “I like being in the hay business,” says
Charlie. “Going to the farms that actually grow our hay, meeting hard working people who take pride in their product is actually fun. I REALLY like going on those hay buy- ing trips. The hardest part is being flexible without compromise. The last four years, pricing for everything has gone through the roof and hay is no exception. The effects of the economy have hit all of and trying to do a good job for my clients is always what I am thinking about.” “The flexibility to manage the hay busi-
is the best available on the market at this time!’ That means the market is controlling the price and you are writing the check.” Charlie is a loyal man who is proud of
the working relationships with growers he started doing business with so many de- cades ago. He knows the fields, he knows the soil, he understands the complexity of when to harvest and when not to, he bal- ances his responsibilities quite well. His cli- ents, Blenheim Horse Shows-Stanford and so many other businesses and barns, return every year as they have for so long…that in its self speaks volumes. Looking forward, as he does every year,
he has some observations. “This year there will be no carryover or extra hay still stored in barns, there simply isn’t any left. Yield’s
were off a little, that means hay sold fast and this year it will be in big demand. Al- falfa prices may not vary too much, if you can get it, but all other grain hay prices will stay high. Grass hay will be expensive so get ready. Buy early and contract for the year so you don’t have to buy at market value later, negotiate early in order to freeze the price and you can know how to budget plus you know the product you will get. Consistency is the key in feeding horses that perform at a high level.” As he steps into the cab of the horse van
going home from Vegas, he laughs and waves and heads northwest to Calistoga. The next couple of months he will search the growers and travel hundreds of miles to continue his quest to find great hay for our horses, and he will enjoy every minute of it!
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